The Batman Black and White series of statues has
covered an awful lot of Batman looks over the last few years. We're
somewhere in the neighborhood of 30, all distinct and unique.

But
I'd hazard to say that none are quite as distinct and unique as the
latest release, based on the classic style of the great artist Sergio
Aragones. Mr. Aragones has been a staple at Mad magazine since 1963.
Perhaps the most prolific cartoonist of all time (and certainly the
fastest), his own book, Groo the Wanderer,
has survived the demise of numerous publishers to remain a fan
favorite. He also killed Marty Feldman, but that's a story for another
day.

I had the chance to meet Mr. Aragones at Comic-Con a few
years ago, where he signed a couple books for my youngest son. He was
warm and personable, and very friendly. We often hear about the bad
encounters with various 'celebrities', so it's nice to meet someone
like Sergio, a regular guy with a great personality and tons of talent.

This
statue is sculpted by James Shoop, and everything I've seen claims it's
a 'limited edition'. I haven't been able to find any actual production
number on it, however, and there's nothing on the statue or the box
that would indicate the run size.

With the release of this
statue, the price on Batman Black and Whites has jumped $10. If you get
lucky, you can snag him for around $70, but you are more likely to end
up paying around $80.

Packaging - ***As with the recent Pat Gleason release,
there's no Certificate of Authenticity and no numbering of any sort on
the box or the base of the statue. Unlike the Gleason statue, this time
there isn't even the words 'limited edition' on the box at all. In the
marketing documents, DC Direct does say it's a limited edition, but I
couldn't find any mention of the run size.

Inside the box is the
usual double foam trays, made from a reasonably dense material. The
statue is all one piece, so no need for you to attach the feet to the
base.

Sculpting - ***Because of his rather portly torso, this
is a Batman with a lot of surface area. And most of that surface area
is untextured, smooth, and somewhat boring due to the cartoon style.

I'm
fine with that, but I would have liked to see a bit sharper definition
to the details that are here. Things like the teeth and utility belt
pouches (and buttons) are very soft, with almost no definition. This
exacerbates the feeling of little to no real detail.

On top of
that, there's something weird about the face. If you look at my photos
from straight on, you'll notice that the nose is crooked off to the
right, while the upper jaw sticks out oddly to the left. I'm not sure
if it's supposed to be that way (photos on the box seem to confirm it's
not), so it may be more of a manufacturing issue. Either way, there's
just something odd about it that throws off the look of the statue in
person.

This statue does fit in pretty well scale wise with the
others, depending on how big you think he is supposed to be next to
'real world' versions. From bottom of base to tips of fingers, he's
about 6 1/2" tall.

Paint - **1/2The paint quality isn't atrocious, but it is certainly below what I would expect considering the price hike.

The
worst of the work is around the belt, where the color of the uniform
and color of the belt ride into each other with equal determination.
There's some slop around most of the cut lines in fact, including the
black and gray of the costume. The logo isn't as sharply defined as
some we've seen, and the bright glossy cape, cowl, gloves and boots -
while appreciated for their shininess - aren't as consistent in
coverage or finish as they should be.

Value - **With the last couple releases, the price was
creeping up from the mid-60's to just over $70. Now the price has
jumped a whopping $10 at most retailers, with an SRP of $90. I'm not
sure if this is due to the anticipated demand for the Aragones version,
or if $90 is going to be the regular rate now (which usually means a
street price around $80), but either way this guy loses a half star off
average.

Things to Watch Out For - Not a thing.

Overall - **1/2This was a statue that I was really
looking forward to, and I think a lot of the fanbase was as well. When
you have high expectations, it's sometimes even tougher to face the
less than stellar truth.

This isn't an awful statue, and I'm glad
I picked it up. I can't really tell if it will sell out, since DCD
seems to be keeping us somewhat in the dark on the actual edition size,
but it is going to be a popular statue, no doubt about it.

But
with a $10 price hike and lower quality work with the paint, there's no
way this guy can end up with solid overall marks. I'm hopeful that this
paint aberration ends up being just that - an aberration. If it turns
out to be a trend instead, then we'll all be pretty unhappy campers.